key+to+marginal+notes

By: Langdon Winner To make it easier for you to understand my marginal notes in your papers on matters of writing mechanics, style and grammar, I've prepared the following key explaining what each seemingly arcane note means. Please see me if you have questions.
 * KEY TO THE MARGINAL NOTES ON YOUR PAPERS **

ARG -- Please argue this point more fully. AW -- Awkward phrasing; try to write this in a more direct, simple way. BMS -- Be more specific in what you say. BOM -- Bombastic or pretentious prose. [“Throughout human history … (etc.)] BRK -- Here would be a logical place to break for a new paragraph. COL -- Colloquial word or words; please use a more elegant term. CL -- Clutter in your writing here. DEV -- Develop this idea further. It's a good idea, worth expanding. EV -- What is the evidence you would offer to support this claim? EX -- A concrete example would clarify things at this point. EXP -- Please explain this point. Your explanation is incomplete as it stands. FP -- Faulty parallel; make sure you are comparing comparable things and that your idea moves logically from point to point. FR -- Faulty reasoning; check the logic of your argument; make certain you've made your case. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">GP -- You’ve made a good point here. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">GRM – Poor grammar. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">IDEO – Is this claim factual or ideological? <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">NS -- This is not a sentence. Make sure you have both subject and verb. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">NV -- No verb: this sentence does not have a verb and needs one! <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">OS — Other side? Here give the reasons offered in opposing viewpoint(s). <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">PV -- This sentence uses passive voice (e.g, "The ball was kicked by Sam."). Please use an active voice verb and active voice construction (e.g., "Sam kicked the ball.") <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">QUO -- An appropriate quotation from readings in the course would help make your point here. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">RD -- Redundant; repeats something you have already said. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">RP -- Remove the parentheses from this sentence. They clutter your text. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">SP -- Spelling error. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">S/P Check to make sure you have the right match of singular noun (or pronouns) and singular verb or plural noun matched to a plural verb. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">SV — Use more variety in the way you structure sentences <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">TU -- Tighten up this section; use fewer words to make the point. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">VT -- Wrong verb tense; make sure the tense of verb in this sentence or paragraph-- <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;"> past, present, future -- are in agreement. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">UC -- Unclear; make sure your words mean exactly what you intend. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">UD -- Use a dash or a colon to separate this passage. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">UN -- Unnecessary; these words are not needed to make your point. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">WHO? -- Please specify exactly who said, did or thought this. Give the source, perhaps with footnote. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">WW -- Wrong word; check the context and the dictionary. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">GOOD -- A fine idea, elegantly written! <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">!! -- Exactly right! <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">MORE -- This is an interesting point. Say more about it. <span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">NICE – Nicely written passage here

<span style="font-family: Garamond,serif; font-size: 11pt;">[Note: See Strunk and White, __Elements of Style__ (available online) for suggestions on how to write clear, effective prose. George Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language" is also wonderful on this.]